


eunhae | tomorrow

by plincess_cho (ai_hao)



Category: Super Junior
Genre: Author: Ai, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-17
Updated: 2016-02-17
Packaged: 2018-05-21 04:19:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6037798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ai_hao/pseuds/plincess_cho
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tomorrow, everything changes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	eunhae | tomorrow

It’s nearly midnight, but Donghae doesn’t want to go to sleep. If he goes to sleep, that means that Hyukjae’s enlistment day will arrive just that much sooner. It means that he’ll have to say goodbye earlier, that enlistment will start earlier, that they’ll be apart sooner.

So instead, Donghae’s on the couch on the dorms that only Kyuhyun lives in now. Hyukjae is on the floor reading through his pile of mail that the company collected for him.  _Finding Nemo_  is on TV on loop. They must have watched it at least three times already, but every time it ends, Donghae just presses the play button one more time. Hyukjae doesn’t complain.

It feels so normal being like this that Donghae’s heart nearly physically aches at the thought of Hyukjae not being there. They’ve been together for so long that the thought of Hyukjae leaving feels like losing a piece of himself. 

Donghae remembers SJM’s early days where they spent countless weeks in China. It had been fun at first: new sights, new sounds, new _food_. But every time he turned to let Hyukjae try the weird treats Han Geng had found or giggle over something only they would understand, he had to remind himself that Hyukjae was back in Korea without him.

_Without him..._

“You’re not going to forget me in the army, are you?” Donghae blurts out suddenly.

Hyukjae doesn’t even look up. “I couldn’t if I tried, pabo.”

“You mean it?”

“Yes,” Hyukjae replies.

By the time Hyukjae finishes reading all of the letters, Nemo has almost been reunited with his dad. Of course, that’s when Hyukjae starts paying attention to the movie and cries _again_  over the happy ending, even though he’s cried over the same scene in the same movie three times that day. He plops on the couch next to Donghae who picks up the remote control to start the movie over.

“Hae, it’s getting late,” Hyukjae says.

“No,” Donghae replies. “It’s not time yet.”

“If you want to see more of me, why don’t you just come with Kangin and Teuk tomorrow?” Hyukjae asks.

Donghae glares at him. “You know why I can’t.”

Hyukjae does know. Donghae had cried enough at their pre-enlistment party the night before that putting him in public would be a bad idea. Hyukjae only hopes he can manage to cry himself out before he enlists on Thursday.

They don’t restart the movie. Instead, they sit on the couch and stare at the looping DVD menu. Hyukjae leans against Donghae. “It’s only a short while, Hae,” he says softly. And he’s right. But after months of nonstop recording, rehearsing, and performing together, just the two of them, and after years of always having the other within reach, two months apart sounds like the highest form of torture.

Their goodbye is surprisingly short. Donghae grips Hyukjae tightly before abruptly ending the hug. “Goodnight,” he says gruffly, coughing to mask the tears.

“Goodnight,” Hyukjae replies. He heads for the door but then turns, “I meant it, Hae.”

“What?” Donghae replies.

“I couldn’t forget you if I tried. Your stupid face and your stupid self are too ingrained in me to forget.”

*

It’s nearly midnight, and Hyukjae can’t wait to fall asleep. The faster he falls asleep, the faster tomorrow will come. He thinks he has everything ready. They’re not having a huge party because it’d be too overwhelming, but he’s already arranged for food to be delivered. The ahjumma had been so happy to hear his voice when he placed the order.

He lies awake on his bed and squeezes his eyes shut. Tomorrow there will be no more collect calls from the Seoul police department, no more leaves to arrange, no more itchy military uniforms. No, there will be no more loneliness and no more wondering about what the other is doing and no more visits to the military hospital.

Tomorrow will hold the promise of staying up late watching cartoons and running around the practice rooms giggling and recording instavids of just screaming and of standing onstage holding the other’s hand and bowing with relief.

Tomorrow will be better.

Because tomorrow is the day that Donghae comes home.


End file.
